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Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed
Major shipment of protective equipment in Slovenia
Slovenia requests tax and tariff exemption for medical gear imports
Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed
STA, 25 March 2020 - A fifth coronavirus-related death in Slovenia was confirmed Wednesday as another person died in the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the epidemic in the country, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announced.
Gantar said that fifty new cases of Covid-19 infection had been confirmed since yesterday, bringing the total number to 528. According to him, 73 of the infected persons are healthcare workers.
This is the largest daily increase in the number of infected persons in Slovenia, surpassing the previous record of 45 on 13 March.
However, a direct comparison is not possible since the methodology has changed: the cases used to be counted by 10am, now they are counted from midnight to midnight. The latest daily increase thus refers to the entire Tuesday.
The National Public Health Institute later said that 528 positive tests had been recorded by midnight on Tuesday, but that the number of positive persons was actually 526, as some of the tests had been repeated.
"We expect a growth in the number of patients in the coming days. At this point we cannot project when the epidemic will peak," Gantar said.
He added that the situation could deteriorate very quickly if citizens failed to respect all the instructions and restrictive measures.
The minister also said that it was hard to project possible additional measures in the healthcare system, as these would depend mainly on the trends in patient numbers.
A total of 16,113 persons have been tested, with 1,243 being tested on Tuesday alone.
A total of 72 patients have so far been hospitalised, of whom 14 are in intensive care. Nationwide there are 539 beds available for coronavirus patients, of which 56 in intensive care, and the number could be increased to up to 1,000 if other health services are scaled back.
Gantar said that the government would reorganise the healthcare system as needed to adapt it to the growing number of Covid-19 patients.
The number of regular services has been reduced because of the limited staff capacity, equipment and premises, he said, adding that the ministry wanted to connect hospitals around the country when it came to the most important fields.
Coordinators for individual fields will be appointed in individual hospitals to gain a comprehensive insight into the developments and capacities in the country.
Intensive care will be organised as a single hospital. "This way we will know at any moment where enough staff, equipment and room is available for potential new Covid-19 patients," the minister explained.
Asked how many patients had recovered, Gantar said that there was no clear definition of recovery, while noting that dozens of persons had been discharged from hospital.
Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj added that nursing homes around the country remained the hot spots, but added that the operators had been well prepared for the situation, which was under control.
Both ministers noted that protective gear remained one of the main challenges both in nursing homes and medical institutions.
More about this topic is expected to be known on Thursday, with Gantar saying that small shipments continued to arrive on an ongoing basis.
The system has a sufficient quantity of medication for the next 30 days, and procedures are under way to purchase additional quantities, he added.
The minister noted that foreign countries had started to restrict exports of medications, adding that Slovenia had contacted Japan in relation to a medication which was expected to be used for treatment of Covid-19.
"There are many experimental studies, but there is not enough scientific evidence for us to go for quick imports of some of other medications," he said.
Major shipment of protective equipment in Slovenia
STA, 25 March 2020- A major shipment of much needed personal protective equipment arrived in Slovenia from the Czech Republic on Wednesday as an increasing number of business are joining the effort to meet the needs.
A plane carrying 25,200 N95 surgical masks, 500,000 other surgical masks and 5,000 protective suits landed at Ljubljana airport, the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration said.
Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec, who was present upon the landing, tweeted that the flight form Pardubice had been organised as a matter of urgency overnight.
"This and other shipments expected in Slovenia these days will significantly improve the material situation at Slovenian hospitals, which also means better and safer working conditions for doctors and other health staff," the ministry stated on its Facebook profile.
Prime Minister Janez Janša has thanked the Czech Republic for the equipment via Twitter.
Defence Minister Matej Tonin, also communicating via Twitter, has said that distribution of the equipment to health institutions and nursing homes has already begun.
The Commodity Reserves Institute has also supplied an additional 3.36 million pairs of latex gloves and 920 washable masks.
A total of 526 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia, including 73 health staff. Four of the patients who have died have been residents of nursing homes, which have proved major virus hotspots in the country.
Medical organisations and trade unions urged the government today to supply health staff with suitable personal protective equipment on time, pointing to a dire lack thereof.
"What had been unacceptable [in terms of safety standards] only a week ago, has become a daily practice due to a lack of protective equipment," the organisations said in a joint appeal.
They say the equipment is needed urgently to contain the spread of the infection in health institutions, which they say were a ticking bomb.
The organisations also called for health staff that could get infected while treating Covid-19 patients to be provided accommodation outside their home.
The call comes as a growing number of Slovenian businesses are shifting production to make protective masks, with one of the companies starting to 3D print masks.
Having manufactured industrial protective garments and goggles for thirty years, the Ptuj-based company Zaščita had already developed an ergonomic reusable mask even before the coronavirus outbreak.
"We first offered masks to our business partners for their employees. Due to huge demand, we implemented strict hygienic measures for the safety of our employees and expanded production," company official Žiga Tement said.
The 40 employees are now working two shifts to put out between 3,000 and 4,000 masks a day in cooperation with external partners. They put most of them on the market, but have offered part of them to health institutions.
The dental lab of the Križaj Clinic in Muljava in central Slovenia has designed a reusable mask to be made on 3D printers that also includes a filter that keeps away 99.95% of 0.3 micron particles.
Before use the masks will be tested at the high-tech company Bia Separations.
Masks are also being made by individuals as well as several other companies, including Supreme, the Izola-based family business manufacturing sails. Employing only two people, they make 100 masks a day and could increase the output to 150 a day.
Several companies are donating equipment, including the Chinese-owned household appliances manufacturer Gorenje, which donated 1,000 masks to the Velenje municipality.
Slovenia requests tax and tariff exemption for medical gear imports
STA, 25 March 2020 - As part of the measures to tackle the coronavirus epidemic ramifications, the Finance Ministry called on the European Commission on Wednesday to enable Slovenia imports of protective gear, medical devices and other commodities needed to contain the spread of the virus in Slovenia without VAT and customs duties.
EU regulations allow such an exemption in case of disasters and under certain conditions, reads the ministry's press release.
The relevant provision can be activated at the request of a member state or a number of them following a discussion between all EU countries.
The imported equipment or devices exempted from VAT and customs duties must be then distributed among the victims of the epidemic free of charge, with the commodities remaining in the ownership of the organisations that have imported them.
Italy has been the first member state to address such a request to the EU Commission.
All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook
We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Alexander Sandi. You can see more of their work here.
Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed
No hold-ups at Austria border checkpoints
Proposal to give army limited police powers on hold for now
Tourism not yet affected in February, but drastic drop to follow
Ljubljana animal shelter preparing to admit animals of Covid-19 patients
Fifth Slovenian Covid-19 victim confirmed
STA, 25 March 2020 - A fifth coronavirus-related death in Slovenia was confirmed Wednesday as another person died in the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the epidemic in the country, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announced.
Fifty new cases of Covid-19 infection have been confirmed since yesterday, bringing the total number to 528. According to Gantar, 73 of the infected persons are healthcare workers.
This is the largest daily increase in the number of infected persons in Slovenia, surpassing the previous record of 45 on 13 March.
However, a direct comparison is not possible since the methodology has changed: the cases used to be counted by 10am, now they are counted from midnight to midnight. The latest daily increase thus refers to the entire Tuesday.
"We expect a growth in the number of patients in the coming days. At this point we cannot project when the epidemic will peak," Gantar said.
He added that the situation could deteriorate very quickly if citizens failed to respect all the instructions and restrictive measures.
The minister also said that it was hard to project possible additional measures in the healthcare system, as these would depend mainly on the trends in patient numbers.
A total of 16,113 persons have been tested, with 1,243 being tested on Tuesday alone.
A total of 72 patients have so far been hospitalised, of whom 14 are in intensive care. Nationwide there are 539 beds available for coronavirus patients, of which 56 in intensive care, and the number could be increased to up to 1,000 if other health services are scaled back.
Gantar said that the government would reorganise the healthcare system as needed to adapt it to the growing number of Covid-19 patients.
The number of regular services has been reduced because of the limited staff capacity, equipment and premises, he said, adding that the ministry wanted to connect hospitals around the country when it came to the most important fields.
Coordinators for individual fields will be appointed in individual hospitals to gain a comprehensive insight into the developments and capacities in the country.
Intensive care will be organised as a single hospital. "This way we will know at any moment where enough staff, equipment and room is available for potential new Covid-19 patients," the minister explained.
Asked how many patients had recovered, Gantar said that there was no clear definition of recovery, while noting that ten persons had been released from hospital.
Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj added that nursing homes around the country remained the hot spots, but added that the operators had been well prepared for the situation, which was under control.
Both ministers noted that protective gear remained one of the main challenges both in nursing homes and medical institutions.
More about this topic is expected to be known on Thursday, with Gantar saying that small shipments continued to arrive on an ongoing basis.
The system has a sufficient quantity of medication for the next 30 days, and procedures are under way to purchase additional quantities, he added.
The minister noted that foreign countries had started to restrict exports of medications, adding that Slovenia had contacted Japan in relation to a medication which was expected to be used for treatment of Covid-19.
"There are many experimental studies, but there is not enough scientific evidence for us to go for quick imports of some of other medications," he said.
No hold-ups at Austria border checkpoints
STA, 25 March 2020 - Traffic at the border with Austria is running smoothly after Slovenia introduced border checks at 13 points as of midnight to contain the coranavirus epidemic. Maribor police, who control four check points, said no foreign citizens had been denied entry to the country in the first twelve hours.
"We did not deny entry to any passenger in the period when the checks were introduced and midday," the Maribor Police Department, which controls Jurij, Šentilj and Trate border crossings, told the STA on Wednesday.
"There are no tailbacks," the police said, but added traffic could become a bit more dense at times at the Šentilj motorway border crossing, which is the busiest one.
Similarly, Slovenian workers commuting daily to Austria, who are not subject to the checks, have not experienced any major delays on their way to work, according to head of their trade union Mario Fekonja.
The same regime of checks of foreign citizens applies on the Slovenian border with Italy, with passengers being checked their body temperature.
They need to produce a medical certificate showing they tested negative for the coronavirus no more than three days ago.
Should they not have it, medical staff assesses their health condition; they are allowed entry if their body temperature is below 37.5 degrees Celsius and they show no symptoms of infection such as coughing, sneezing and difficulty breathing.
The restrictions do not apply to Slovenian citizens or to persons with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia.
While rail transport with Austria has also been suspended, transit is allowed only in agreement with the neighbouring country.
Cargo transport and humanitarian convoys are excluded from the restrictions.
Slovenian citizens are meanwhile also checked by Austria. The new regime on the Austrian side was introduced on Friday.
Proposal to give army limited police powers on hold for now
STA, 25 March 2020 - The government has decided to wait before it formally proposes the activation of a legislative provision that gives the military limited police powers in controlling the border. Before a formal proposal to that effect is made, parliamentary factions will be consulted, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said on Wednesday.
"We decided yesterday that I withdraw the proposal from the government's agenda for now... I will first conduct talks with all deputy groups. We want deputy groups to contribute their ideas and their thoughts, but most of all we want to include all deputy groups in relevant decision-making as to the appropriateness of this measure," he said.
A two-thirds majority in parliament is needed to give the military police powers and the majority of leftist parties have been apprehensive about the plan. Some have said it is unnecessary at this point, others have expressed fear about the potential for abuse. Hojs has already talked to some of the deputy groups, the remaining meetings are scheduled until Friday.
The minister stressed that the army was not currently needed in Slovenian cities or on the country's roads, but it is "badly needed on Slovenia's southern border" with Croatia.
This is because a portion of the police force had to be deployed to the border with Austria, where police checks were introduced at midnight, while a segment of the force had been put on standby to step in if some officers become ill. Soldiers would fill any remaining gaps.
The checks on the border with Austria have been put in place to prevent Slovenia from becoming a pocket for stranded foreigners, Hojs said.
"We've restricted access for those who cannot continue from Slovenia to their homeland. We're talking about nationals from Southeast Europe: Serbs, Bulgarians and Romanians. Slovenia cannot become a pocket."
In recent days several hundred Serb nationals have converged on Slovenia. They had wanted to return home to Serbia from across Europe but were turned away on the Serbian border and dozens had been seen camping out in front of the Serbian embassy in Ljubljana.
Many were put up in a sports hall Tuesday night and will be evacuated to Serbia in special convoys today and tomorrow.
Tourism not yet affected in February, but drastic drop to follow
STA, 25 March 2020 - Before an expected dive in March due to coronavirus, the tourism sector in Slovenia continued to do well in February, recording an only 4% year-on-year drop in arrivals to 302,000 and a 1% decrease in overnight stays to 853,000, show data released by the Statistics Office on Wednesday.
February in a fact saw an increase in the number of arrivals by foreign tourists, by almost 3% to 173,000. Italians accounted for 13% of all foreign visitors. Tourists from Serbian and Austria followed with 12% each, while Croatians accounted for 11% of the total.
The capital was doing particularly well, recording an 8% rise in the number of overnight stays compared to February 2019.
The figures are expected to change drastically over coronavirus in March. All tourist accommodation had to close in mid-March, air traffic has ground to a halt, and borders have been closed.
The government has responded to the expected woes of business and vulnerable groups with a EUR 2 billion stimulus package that is expected to be finalised by the end of the week.
Ljubljana animal shelter preparing to admit animals of Covid-19 patients
STA, 25 March 2020 - The Ljubljana animal shelter has limited the admission of animals to urgent cases and is making preparations to take in the animals of potential Covid-19 patients who have nobody to look after their pet during their illness.
While the animals will be subjected to a 10-day quarantine, which is standard procedure at the shelter, a special protocol has been put in place for the handover.
Owners are urged not to bring the animals to the shelter but instead notify it via phone or get a healthy person with an authorisation notice to deliver it.
The head of the shelter, which has the capacity to admit about 50 animals, Marko Oman has told Delo that the staff is already used to working in protective gear, which is why protocols did not need to be changed much.
Omar is urging caution even if there has been no evidence so far that pets can also contract the novel coronavirus.
"It is recommended to avoid petting the animals, since we don't know as much about the disease as we would like to," he said.
A short film by Danilo Milovanović, made during the pubic shutdown dealing with the coronavirus epidemic, shows how Bosnian workers continue to work 10-hour shifts at various constructions sites in the centre of Ljubljana, from Trubarjeva to Gregorčičeva. In the film, with English subtiteles, you can learn about their concerns.
WORKING CLASS IN THE TIME OF A PANDEMIC from dnlmlvnvc on Vimeo.
Two key figures in the current Covid-19 crisis are the number of ventilators and number of people in an ICU beds with the virus. According to government figures, Slovenia currently has 168 of the former and 11 of the latter (see updates here, along with data on cases, hospitalisations, deaths and recoveries).
Since new ventilators will difficult, if not impossible, to buy off-the-shelf needed, about two weeks ago the Association for Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) and SRIP Factories of the Future started an initiative to develop a Slovenian ventilator, to meet demand, if needed.
The good news is that on Sunday the first prototypes of the new devices were turned on. While not yet ready for use, the work continues to develop models that are safe and reliable for local hospitals. According to a government press release, the work is being done by groups of engineers from several (unnamed) international companies and UKC Ljubljana hospital doctors, coordinated by the Technology Park, the GZS, the Jožef Stefan Institute and the Ljubljana Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here
All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook
We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Sašo Vrabič. You can see more of his work here.
Number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia up by 38 to 480
Slovenia reintroducing border checks with Austria
Budget funds for stimulus package sufficient, say PM, treasury
Options for home delivery of food products expanding
Supply of ventilators and protective gear on schedule
Number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia up by 38 to 480
STA, 24 March 2020 - A total of 480 cases of coronavirus infection were confirmed by 10am today, up 38 in a day. According to the National Public Health Institute, central Slovenia remains to be the region with the highest number of infections.
Out of the 480 cases, 168 were recorded in central Slovenia, 89 in the Savinjska region in the east, 60 in the south-east, 47 in Podravje in north-east and 31 in Gorenjska in the north. Other regions have less than 20 cases. Six foreigners are also infected.
At least one case of infection has been confirmed until today in 109 of Slovenia's 212 municipalities, while 60 municipalities have more than two cases.
Most of the infected (96 persons) are aged between 25 and 34. Another 91 are 45 to 54 years old.
By midnight, a total of 14,870 tests were conducted.
According to data released by the government, 1,058 persons were tested today and 36 tested positive. In total, 65 persons were hospitalised today, ten are in intensive care.
Slovenia recorded the fourth coronavirus-related death today as an elderly woman died at the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic in the country.
The woman had multiple underlying chronic conditions and died "at a very advanced age", the Šmarje pri Jelšah municipality said on its website without specifying the woman's age.
The woman was a resident of the local nursing home, where 24 residents and six staff have so far been diagnosed with Covid-19.
According to Tadeja Kotar from the UKC Ljubljana hospital, 39 Covid-19 patients are being treated at the hospital today; eight of them in intensive care, which is the same as yesterday. The total number of patients rose by seven.
The patients are on average between 60 and 70 years old. Both the youngest and the oldest patients are women, at 25 and 95, respectively.
Ten people have so far been discharged from hospital, but none from intensive care. She said treatment in intensive care usually takes three to five weeks.
Kristina Nadrah from the hospital's unit for infectious diseases said patients were primarily receiving medical support but that some of them were also receiving the drugs principally used for the treatment of other conditions that have proven to be effective in the treatment of Covid-19, including chloroquine, used to treat malaria, and hydroxychloroquine.
Patients are also receiving lopinavir/ritonavir, which was intended for treating patients with HIV infection.
Nadrah said combinations of the drugs were being prescribed to patients, depending on their underlying conditions. But she stressed this was a test treatment and that the efficiency of the drugs in Covid-19 patients had not been proven yet.
The test drug remdesivir, which was developed in the US as a treatment for Ebola virus disease and is not registered yet, has also already been administered to the first patient.
Slovenia has received the drug as a donation from the US manufacturer, since the drug cannot yet be sold on the market, the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija reported last night.
Nadrah said the patient who had received it was feeling better but that it was hard to say whether this was only because of the drug. She said the drug would be available to other patients in intensive care as well.
According to Nadrah, Slovenian doctors are in contact with their counterparts from abroad on a daily basis. Talks are also under way for Slovenia to start importing some Asian drugs that have not been registered here yet, she said in a video-statement released today by the hospital.
The number of patients at the UKC Maribor hospital rose from 11 to 13. The number of patients in intensive care rose from two to three. The hospital currently has 67 members of staff in self-isolation because of close contacts with infected persons.
The Celje hospital admitted three additional patients today, putting its total number at four. One member of the hospital staff is in self-isolation. Ten tests were conducted among staff there and they were all negative, the hospital said today.
Slovenia reintroducing border checks with Austria
STA, 24 March 2020 - Slovenia will reintroduce border checks with Austria from midnight to restrict access to the country because of the coronavirus epidemic. A total of 13 border checkpoints will be set up at former border crossings with Austria, Jelko Kacin, the spokesman for the government coronavirus crisis unit, announced on Tuesday.
According to Kacin, Prime Minister Janez Janša has signed a decree restricting entry to Slovenia from Austria in line with the rules that already apply on the Italian border.
The checkpoints will be set up at the former border crossings Gornja Radgona, Kuzma, Holmec, Vič, Jurij, Karavanke, Ljubelj, Trate, Radlje, Gederovci, Šentilj - motorway, Šentilj - local road and Korensko Sedlo.
Only foreigners with a medical certificate showing that they have tested negative for coronavirus not more than three days ago and foreigners with body temperature under 37.5 degrees Celsius and no visible symptoms of infection will be allowed to enter the country.
Slovenian citizens and residents will be allowed to enter.
Locals who own land on both sides of the border, those commuting on a daily basis, cargo transport, emergency and humanitarian vehicles will continue to be allowed to cross the border.
Train transport has already been suspended.
Budget funds for stimulus package sufficient, say PM, treasury
STA, 24 March 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj have assured the public that the funds to finance the coronavirus stimulus package announced on Tuesday are sufficient, with reliable sources available to tap into.
Addressing the press conference at which the package to help businesses and the population was unveiled, Janša said the government was not planning a special supplementary budget tor the measures taken to mitigate the coronavirus crisis.
He said that a special framework outside existing fiscal rules and limitations was being set out at the EU level, a framework that would be expanded at the level of monetary policies of the European Central Bank (ECB) as well as at the level of EU and eurozone instruments.
"There's currently no concern about a lack of current liquidity to meet the needs," said the prime minister, referring to the planned measures to help business and the population and current public expenditure.
Minister Šircelj noted that the taskforce preparing the stimulus plan had estimated its value at around EUR 2 billion, adding that the Finance Ministry's calculation of the financial impact of the measures would be ready by Thursday evening, when the relevant bills were ready.
"The sources to finance those measures exist and are secured, realistic and reliable," said Šircelj, pointing to EU and domestic funds.
He assessed that Slovenia could count on EUR 1.1 billion from an instrument to be formed by the Eurogroup based on the European Stability Mechanism and EUR 2.5 billion as part of the ECB council's decision on an increased bond-buying plan.
The state will approve guarantees through SID Bank and special-purpose funds so that commercial banks can help the population and businesses with borrowing and loan repayment. In one of the measures the Bank Assets Management Company will be allowed to buy non-performing loans.
Money from cohesion funds will be diverted to where the money is needed more.
Slovenia is also in talks with the International Monetary Fund on an instrument that will allow additional guarantees, and with the World Bank, according to Šircelj.
He said that government borrowing would be within the set annual limit. The budget financing plan for the year sets the cap on state borrowing at EUR 1.58 billion.
Considering the still relatively favourable terms in the market, borrowing is possible and in a way pays off, said the minister, as the past more costly borrowing is being replaced by cheaper borrowing.
"These measures will cause nothing unusual, exceptional finance-wise, the financial system is stable," said Šircelj, expressing regret that some businesses and sole traders suspended their operations because they did not believe the state would take care of them.
Similarly, economist Jože Damijan maintains that financing the crisis mitigation and stimulus package should not be a problem for Slovenia.
He estimates a minimum state intervention should be between EUR 2.6 billion and up to almost EUR 6 billion, while Slovenia already has about EUR 3 billion liquidity in the budget.
The economist expects the state will issue EUR 5 billion of 10- and 20-year bonds. The state can borrow in international markets at low interest rates, while there is also considerable potential at home with EUR 20 billion in savings deposits.
In a webinar hosted by the Ljubljana School of Business and Economics, Damijan argued that a fast and substantial intervention was needed to reduce the damage to the economy caused by the pandemic.
He welcomed most of the measures set out by the government today, but dismissed the solidarity allowance for pensioners and a cut in public office holders' pay as populist, and labelling as discrimination the plan that the self-employed get only 70% of the minimum wage, while infected farmers get 80%.
He believes the government should fully compensate companies for the loss of income and wages for employees and self-employed. As a follow-up he suggests a transfer of EUR 500 for each adult and EUR 150 for each child to be able to spend more after the crisis at the budget cost of EUR 800 million.
Among several other measures he also proposed a six-month moratorium or rescheduling of loans of affected business and individuals.
Options for home delivery of food products expanding
STA, 24 March 2020 - After major grocery chains already started struggling with a sharp increase in demand for home delivery last week, options for avoiding in-store purchases have continued to expand. Large numbers of volunteers have stepped forward to help the elderly, while companies making pasta, frozen baked goods and the like have set up delivery schemes.
Retailers have been reporting about up to five-fold increases in delivery orders, with capacities booked out days or weeks in advance, and have been expanding capabilities accordingly.
Some are also cooperating with volunteer organisations, which have moreover teamed up with social work centres, the police force, the civil protection and health centres.
Meanwhile, forays into home delivery are being made by companies with limited or no experience in this field, for instance Pekarna Pečjak, the biggest maker of frozen dough foods in the country,
On Wednesday, Pekarna Pečjak plans to start delivering around 100 products from its frozen foods line, along with pasta, bread, biscuits, oil, milk, salt, sugar and flour.
A similar service was launched a few days ago by Mlinotest, the Ajdovščina-based bread and pasta company.
Food delivery is moreover provided by the webstore of energy trader Petrol, while the bolha.com classified ads website is serving as a digital market connecting users to local food producers who deliver fresh food.
The network of food producers delivering their products has expanded around country and a number of farms have started selling their products directly.
Municipalities are taking action as well and are for instance publishing lists of food delivery providers.
Supply of ventilators and protective gear on schedule
STA, 24 March 2020 - Senior Slovenian officials have assured the public that the supply of ventilators and the protective equipment required to contain the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country is running without disruptions.
President Borut Pahor received on Tuesday Chinese Ambassador Wang Shunqin to thank him for his country's support in the supply of ventilators, which are expected to be used on patients most affected with the coronavirus.
The post on the website of the president's office says that Pahor and Wang had agreed that Slovenia and China would maintain humanitarian, scientific and economic ties in a bid to manage the consequences of the pandemic.
The ambassador said that the company which supplied the ventilators would make sure that the supply to Slovenia went as agreed.
After the first 20 ventilators were delivered yesterday, another 100 are expected to be delivered by the beginning of the next week. A total of 220 ventilators are expected to be supplied in two weeks.
The press release adds that Wang had informed the president about the situation in China and thanked him for Slovenia's support and aid in the hardest moments.
Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek meanwhile told the press that a sufficient quantity of ventilators and protective masks had been ordered. The latter will eventually be available to all, not only to medical staff.
The minister said that there had been some logistical problems, but the "relevant ministries, equipment suppliers and diplomatic services are giving it their best for the ordered quantity of the protective gear to be supplied."
Počivalšek rejected speculations that some of the ordered equipment had gotten stuck along the way and reiterated that payments were made only after the equipment was delivered, not in advance.
The minister noted that companies based in Slovenia had also started producing protective equipment. "Soon we will start delivering increasing quantities of protective equipment and masks from our producers," he added.
At least two companies started producing face masks this week and are expected to make several thousand each day.
All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook
We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Arjan Pregl. You can see more of his work here.
Govt announces EUR 2bn stimulus package for economy
Crisis already reflecting in sole proprietorship, unemployment figures
Slovenian cultural institutions to suffer significant loss of income
Govt announces EUR 2bn stimulus package for economy
STA, 24 March 2020 - The government has prepared a package of economic stimulus measures worth roughly EUR 2 billion to keep society running during the coronavirus crisis. The measures include loan guarantees for companies, purchase of claims to companies, co-financing of social contributions, temporary basic income for the self-employed and allowances for pensioners.
Presenting the outlines of the "coronapackage" on Tuesday, Prime Minister Janez Janša said the measures were designed to protect jobs and keep society in general functioning through the crisis.
They are valued at roughly EUR 2 billion, the biggest stimulus ever in Slovenian history, according to Matej Lahovnik, the economist who heads a special task force of economists and business executives that has advised the government on the measures.
One of the principal measures helping the corporate sector will be a broad expansion of support for companies, both for those that continue to operate and those that are forced to scale back operations.
Part-financing of temporary layoffs had been provided as part of the first package of measures but this kind of financing will now be expanded: the state will fully cover up to two months of social contributions.
The measure will be in place until 31 May but may be extended if necessary, according to Janša.
To keep companies functioning, the state plans to step in and cover the employer and employee pension contributions of private sector workers who remain working during the crisis.
Janša also announced what he called a "financial cannon": a guarantee scheme for companies and purchases of corporate claims.
According to Lahovnik, companies will be able to sell unenforceable claims to a public institution. While the bad bank had initially been mentioned as the institution to handle such claims, Lahovnik said this had not been finalised yet.
Sick pay of all those who fall ill during the crisis will be fully covered by the public health insurance rather than employers having to cover the first 30 working days of absence. Unemployment benefits will automatically kick in on the first day of unemployment.
Corporate income tax payments will be provisionally suspended and suppliers dealing with the state will be paid in 8 days, down from a minimum of 30 at the moment.
The prime minister also announced extra funding for scientific and research institutions helping to develop coronavirus vaccines, drugs to alleviate coronavirus symptoms and protective equipment.
The self-employed will get a waiver of contributions and a monthly basic income of 70% of minimum pay. To be eligible, all they will have to do is to submit statements that their business has been affected by the crisis.
Lahovnik said it was crucial to keep this system simple and eschew red tape. The statements will be checked retroactively.
Pensioners with pensions below EUR 700 will get a special allowance to help them better cope, according to Janša. The one-off payment will be in the EUR 130-300 range and will be transferred on 15 April.
A special set of measures will be dedicated to farmers, with direct transfers and cancelled contributions planned for farmers who may contract coronavirus.
There will also be some savings measures, including a 30% pay cut for holders of public office and a 30% cut in fees for members of supervisory boards in state-owned companies.
While the judiciary will be exempted under a Constitutional Court ruling on the matter, Janša called on decision-makers there to voluntarily join the effort.
Lahovnik said follow-up measures focused on liquidity were already under discussion as well and would be presented "in a few weeks". He said it was crucial to act fast since the corporate sector risked entering "chain illiquidity" otherwise.
Janša said the state will provide "as much funding as necessary". "The fundamental aim is to freeze the existing situation in Slovenia so that we protect people and preserve jobs and potentials in business, science, research, culture and society in general."
The guidelines will be transformed into formal legislative proposals by the end of the week.
Slovenian cultural institutions to suffer significant loss of income
STA, 24 March 2020 - Slovenia's public cultural organisations are trying to work out to what extent the coronavirus outbreak will affect their business if they stay closed for two weeks, a month or more. Some have opted to offer their production online as a gesture of good will for many staying at home, but this will not improve their bottom line.
All events have been cancelled, work largely suspended or reorganised from home, with those unable to work from home being put on hold, or instructed to use days off.
At Cankarjev Dom, the largest cultural centre in the country, only security guards and those vitally needed for the centre to be maintained come to work daily.
All the other employees are working from home, but there is no shortage of things to do, its director Uršula Cetinski told the STA.
"We're working on finances, staffing, cancellations or rescheduling of events, and we're also busy with preparations for the eagerly-awaited moment when we reopen."
The situation is similar at the SNG Drama Ljubljana, the leading theatre in Slovenia.
"Our business offices are open only a few hours a day for the employees to pick up the most urgent material or tools to work from home.
"This is also a time when our premises are being cleaned and disinfected as a precaution," the theatre explained for the STA.
Slovenian Philharmonic musicians are practising for post-coronavirus concerts at home, and National Gallery curators are busy with research related to future exhibitions.
Estimates of the loss incurred due to the coronavirus pandemic have not yet been finalised but Cetinski said Cankarjev Dom would lose EUR 416,000 if closed for a month.
The Drama SNG Ljubljana does not yet have the final figure, but the cancellation of its shows until the end of March should cost it over EUR 200,000.
What is more, it expects not to be able to reschedule most of the shows it was to play around Slovenia or among the Slovenian minority in neighbouring countries this season, which usually ends in May or June.
Given the situation, it will probably also have to cancel three major guest appearances abroad scheduled for the coming months, which will cause a major loss of income.
The Slovenian Philharmonic estimates its loss for March at some EUR 30,000 as a result of cancelled concerts and cancelled renting of its halls.
As for alternatives to live events, Cankarjev Dom offers on its website only an audio guide to a major exhibition on Ancient Greece's science and technology.
Cetinski explained that in order to stream an event, it would have to be first produced in an empty hall, which would pose a risk for artists to get infected.
Ljubljana's Drama has made some of its past events available on its YouTube channel and will have some TV adaptations of its productions broadcast by national broadcaster RTV Slovenija.
The SNG Maribor, another major theatre bringing together drama, ballet and opera, is planning to put some of its productions on the internet, but is still negotiating copyright, explained director Danilo Rošker.
Slovenia acted relatively early in closing things down for COVID-19, and, at least compared to some other countries, people seem to be following the guidelines and behaving responsibly. But while we all know the headline figures - how many cases, how many deaths - what about some other numbers? One place to turn is this excellent website from Joh Dokler, that pulls together a lot of data and visualises it. What we put in the headline, and main image, is hospitalisations and ICU occupancy, but look at the bottom of the graph and you can see a lot more - tests, total tests, cases, total cases, and so on.
Related: How many hospital beds are there in Slovenia?
Daily tests, daily cases
It's interesting to play around with, and with luck over the next two weeks will show that the social distancing and hand washing we've been practicing have paid off, and life can return to something like normalcy, albeit with the knowledge we're all gaining about the value of small joys, the fragility of our systems, and the fact that we're in this together. So click here to explore more, and take care to be kind with the time you have left.
All our coronavirus stories can be found here
All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook
We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Igor Andjelić . I recommend you follow him on Facebook for more beauty in your feed.
Slovenia receives fresh shipment of protective gear
Employers with new proposals to mitigate impact of epidemics
A thousand Slovenians still looking to be repatriated
Slovenia receives fresh shipment of protective gear
STA, 23 March 2020 - Slovenia received on Monday another shipment of protective gear to be used during the coronavirus epidemic, according to a tweet by Defence Minister Matej Tonin.
The civil protection today received 125,000 surgical masks, 93,000 pairs of gloves, 856 Tyvek suits, 20,000 head covers and 2,550 shoe covers, Tonin said on Twitter, adding that another 1,000 FFP2 masks were on the way.
Tonin, whose ministry is in charge of distribution, did not say where the protective equipment had come from.
Jelko Kacin, the spokesman for the government crisis unit, refused to say at today' conference how much protective gear was still needed in Slovenia but he did note that the country was in need of many pieces of protective gear.
"The main problem continues to be logistics, or how to get this protective gear that is mainly produced in China to Europe, and from here to the end user," he said.
He said the public would be informed of any shipments once they reached the country.
Kacin also said that plans were being made for Slovenia to transport protective gear by air, at least around Europe.
He thanked all donors that are helping out in this crisis and called on all those who want to help to contact local civil protection units, reiterating that hospitals, community health centres and retirement homes would be the first to be supplied with protective gear.
Some 800,000 protective face masks arrived in Slovenia on Thursday and Friday, while all trace seems to be lost of the 1.5 million ordered masks which were supposed to arrive at Hamburg airport on Wednesday.
Like many other countries, Slovenia is also launching its own mask production. Boxmark Leather, the Kidričevo-based maker of car upholstery, intends to produce between 40,000 and 45,000 masks per week or some 5,000 to 8,000 per day, and the Celje-based Prevent&Deloza plans to soon make between 30,000 and 40,000 washable masks, first supplying critical services and then also selling them in shops.
Employers with new proposals to mitigate impact of epidemics
STA, 23 March 2020 - Employer representatives proposed to the government further measures to mitigate the impact of the lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus epidemic, including full coverage of sick leave in relation to the virus, partial pay compensation for workers who currently do not have work and financial injections for companies.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has proposed that, in order to secure financial stability and liquidity, the obligation to pay taxes and social security contributions for March and April be written off.
The write-off rate would be 50% for companies who saw their turnover drop by more than 10%, and 100% for companies whose revenue dropped by more than 30%.
A 12-month moratorium would be in force for the payment of taxes and social security contributions for May, with the option of a 5% discount in case of immediate payment.
The chamber also proposes a EUR 1 billion capital injection in the SID Banka investment and development bank for loans to companies in 2020 and a guarantee scheme for all claims by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
On the labour market, the GZS proposes lay-offs without severance pay for the maximum of six months. These workers would get 80% of their wage, but not less than the minimum amount of the unemployment benefit.
The employer would commit to hiring back at least two-thirds of employees temporarily laid off in such a way under the same conditions, not later than six months after the lay-off.
The chamber furthermore proposes the option of a lay-off for the maximum of four months - employees would get 80% of their net wage, 20% of which would be covered by the employer, and the rest by the state.
During the temporary lay-off, the employee would have to be available to return to work for up to 16 hours a week.
Also proposed is that workers who are not able to work because they need to tend to small children get full compensation of their wages and that sick leave caused by the epidemic (including preventive self-isolation) is paid by the state.
In order to kick-start the economy when the time is right, the GZS proposes major public investment projects, preferably implemented by domestic companies, and a special programme for modernisation of public infrastructure.
Also proposed are incentives for private investments and a special programme for start-ups, promotion of venture capital funds, other measures for the financial market, and tax breaks for R&D and new investments, the chamber said in a release.
Additional proposals from the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) include full coverage by the state of the wage bill in companies for sole proprietors who have been banned from working or have no work due to the crisis situation.
Sole proprietors should also be exempt from paying taxes and social security contributions and get compensation for the period in which they are not able to perform their activity, it added.
The OZS said that employers should be allowed to unilaterally order part-time work or use of annual leave for 2020, and that if a worker is dismissed because of a drop in sales or orders, the state should cover severance pay.
Employers should also be allowed to retire workers who meet the conditions for retirement for the duration of the emergency situation.
While welcoming the financial measures prepared by the state bodies, the chamber said that the possibility of a 12-month deferral of credit obligations should also apply to leasing companies.
The OZS also said that the state should follow the German example and earmark one-off financial aid to micro and small companies.
The opposition Left meanwhile proposed today that wages of the lowest-paid workers "who have remained on the front line" - shop assistants, delivery personnel, and workers in manufacturing - should be doubled, with half of the increase to be covered by the state.
Left coordinator Luka Mesec told the STA the government had adopted last week "completely insufficient measures, missing out on a bunch of people who will be affected as the economy has slowed down."
These are, for example, precarious workers and self-employed, he said, adding that Slovenia would soon be able to use up to EUR 3 billion in aid from the European Central Bank (ECB) and that the state should help all.
"We will propose that all self-employed are exempt from paying social security contributions, that all who have been left without income and work get easier access to all forms of aid," he added.
The Tourism and Hospitality Chamber said that, in order to avoid mass lay-offs, the state should provide EUR 1,000 per worker in the tourism industry a month, or adopt amendments increasing the state's share in wage compensation from 40% to 80%.
The chamber also proposes liquidity-boosting measures in the form of grants, subsidies for lost revenue, write-offs of all social security contributions and taxes for all employees for this year, and of corporate income tax for 2019 and 2020.
On the labour market, it wants to see shortened work hours, aid to self-employed, partial coverage of wages for six months, and red tape cuts.
Prime Minister Janez Janša has announced that the government will discuss thing evening guidelines for a new emergency package. The guidelines include pay bonuses for workers in critical sectors, and aid to the self-employed.
A thousand Slovenians still looking to be repatriated
STA, 23 March 2020 - More than 1,000 Slovenians are still looking to get home from other EU member states or third countries amid travel restrictions across the globe as a result of the escalating coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Anže Logar revealed following a videoconference with his EU counterparts.
The repatriation of more than 300,000 EU citizens who have expressed interest in returning home was one of the major topics of the first videoconference of EU foreign ministers on Monday.
Logar took the occasion to thank all the neighbouring countries with which Slovenia agreed joint corridors for transport of goods to destination markets across the borders despite restrictions in the past week. He also thanked fellow ministers of the countries helping with repatriation of Slovenian citizens.
Over the past week more than 300 Slovenians have been brought home safe and sound, and the ministry has been in touch with more than 400 helping them with information on their options to return to Slovenia.
More than 1,000 Slovenians who are still abroad have responded to the ministry's appeal to get in touch if they wished to return to their home country. About 500 are currently in the EU, most of them in the UK, with the rest dispersed across the globe, Logar said.
He repeated his call on all Slovenians abroad to get in touch with the consular service's crisis cell via the Foreign Ministry's website.
The ministry is organising repatriation from Warsaw, Prague, Brussels and Budapest, but Logar told reporters in Ljubljana that Slovenia would not organise additional flights from destinations where Slovenian citizens had declined to return on flights already organised.
Logar noted that EU member countries today had made a number of proposals to fight the consequences of coronavirus, including invoking the European solidarity clause. He said the idea shared was the need to tackle the shortage of needed medical and other equipment to combat the virus.
He said member countries were generally moving from measures to restrict movement in public spaces to measures to stimulate the economy and help the hardest-hit, a direction also taken by the Slovenian government, which is to have a preliminary discussion today on measures to contain the fallout from the pandemic.
Logar said the pandemic had shown the importance of defining critical infrastructure and services needed for a community to function in such a crisis. The EU will have to act fast to ensure urgent production and infrastructure so as not to depend again on certain markets or even a single market in the future.
EU foreign ministers have not taken any formal decisions as these cannot be taken in a non-formal videoconference but can only be taken in a written procedure.
If you're British and here on vacation or for life and want to go "home", then be aware that your options in the immediate future are decreasing by the hour. In short, and to get this post up as quickly as possible, follow the advice in the following tweet.
Our #TravelAdvice explains that UK nationals wishing to return to the UK should make arrangements as soon as possible. We know that options are narrowing. Brits wishing to return should contact us ASAP at ? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
— UK in Slovenia (@UKinSlovenia) March 23, 2020
✈️?? Travel advice: https://t.co/n3p0XtWXOP pic.twitter.com/dfi9e1kY0W
Sam Baldwin – founder of Slovenia-inspired apparel brand, BREG (www.BregDesign.com) runs to the hills in the Slovenian hinterlands of Koroška to wait out Coronavirus craziness and live the simple life.
Other parts in this series can be read here
What a difference five days makes. Life in Slovenia (and much of the world) just changed beyond all recognition. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but few would have believed we’d go from normality to almost total house arrest, in a western democracy, in five days or less.
The domino rally of stringent measures, normally only seen in authoritarian states, has – for now – obliterated life as we know it. All public transport ceased. All cafes and bars closed. All non-essential businesses closed. No public gatherings of more than five people. No leaving home except for food. No leaving the country. No leaving your municipality. Slovenia, like many other countries in Europe, is now closed for the foreseeable future.
I was fortunate to have ‘got out’ while I still could. I ran to the hills of Koroška where, in 2007, my brother and I bought a 300-year old ramshackle cottage up a mountain. We had grand dreams of restoring it. If had we known the problems we would encounter along the way, we might have thought twice.
It’s been a labour of love, but never have I been more relieved to wind up the logging road and arrive at Breg as I was last week. After numerous transportation problems (all public transport in Slovenia ceased to operate then my car almost broke down) I had made it just in time. BREGxit could begin.
I always had the thought that in some sort of end-of-days scenario, Breg would be a good place to wait out the apocalypse. Now I’m putting that theory to the test. Surrounded by beech and evergreen forest, but not much else, Breg is surely Slovenia’s Premiere Self-Isolation Destination. I have adequate supplies of food, a forest for a backyard, and enough moonshine schnapps to see me through Covid pandemics 19 to 23. (Schnapps is an especially valuable resource as it also doubles as hand-sanitiser).
The social isolation will likely become my main adversary. I had hoped to have company, but my Austrian girlfriend had to make a mad dash back across the border as Austria announced it was sealing itself off. It’s hard enough having a long-distance relationship between two countries when the borders are open but being unable to leave our homes adds a whole new challenge. However, if I’m going to be locked down anywhere, then Breg is where I want to serve my sentence.
Up here, it’s a simple life. There’s no WiFi but I have a long list of tasks; old houses require plenty of attention. Yesterday I repaired a stone wall and transplanted a plum tree. This morning I awoke to a fresh blanket of snow and wandered the frozen forest.
I’ve been thinking about the people who built this house almost three centuries ago. They had most of the materials they needed, surrounding them. Wood from the forest and plenty of stone. They just needed time. And now time is what I have in abundance. I plan to make good use of it to do things in a way its creators would approve of.
I am lucky to have two of the most amazing neighbours you could wish for, who keep an eye on me. They have a small-holding here and have taken to leaving a hot, homemade meal at my doorstep each day. I speak to them from my window each morning (I need to ensure I’m COVID-free before closer contact) as they go about their chores. It’s one of the few places in Slovenia where I can practice speaking Slovene without fear of the conversation switching to fluent English.
As life slows down, or rather, comes to an emergency stop, I start to wonder how Coronovirus will change our world, permanently. We are suddenly living through a giant experiment in the reduction of global consumption. After years of being told we should fly less, buy less, drive less and eat less by environmentalists, COVID-19’s sudden appearance is forcing us to do doing exactly that. It’s only been five days, but already I am more mindful about my habits. I’m more careful about food and other resources, ensuring I don’t let anything go to waste. I’m starting to realise what I really need and what I don’t miss at all.
There are tough times ahead; it’s hard to see how the economic landscape will recover any time soon. What will life look like after this is all over? Will we in future refer to the wonderous, decadent, and now long-gone era of ‘Before Virus’ (BV), where you could buy anything you wanted and fly anywhere in the world? There will be some lessons learned I’m sure.
I‘ve also noticed how coronavirus has brought people together. In the last 5 days, I’ve been added to three different new whatsapp groups of old friends or extended family. The virus is – for now – giving us a reason, (and for many, the time) – to reconnect with people.
So, like for everyone else in Slovenia and most of the world, I begin a new, unknown phase of life. For the foreseeable future, I’ll be living alone, wandering the forest, splitting wood, repairing, planning, fixing, digging, and writing the BREGxit diaries. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.
Other parts in this series can be read here
Sam Baldwin is the founder of BREG Apparel – Slovenia Inspired t-shirts. If you enjoyed this BREGxit entry – show your support by buying a BREG t-shirt. Sam also is the author of For Fukui’s Sake: Two years in rural Japan – available on kindle or paperback. If you'd like to share your lockdown story, or any other story, then please get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
